Predicting palliative care needs and mortality in end stage renal disease: use of an at-risk register.

Introduction: The Gold Standard Frameworks (GSF) Committee devised Prognostic Indicator Guidance in November 2007 to 'aid identification of adult patients with advanced disease, in the last months or year of life, who are in need of supportive or palliative care'.

Methods: This research used the GSF `surprise question' to formulate a list of patients predicted to die within 1 year with end stage renal failure and to establish the specificity and sensitivity of this register.

Results: 58 patients were added to the list during the follow-up period of which 28 (48.